Lone occupant burned beyond recognition Medical records will be used to identify victim

Thursday

Oct 18, 2012 at 8:44 AMOct 19, 2012 at 8:24 PM

By Don Reid

dwreid@aol.comBETHEL TOWNSHIP — The lone occupant in a Chevrolet HHR died Wednesday afternoon in a single car crash and fire on Kosmerick Road, just before 4 p.m.Branch County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) Deputy Nick Rose was responding to a breaking and entering call as he was headed east on Kosmerick. it was then when he saw smoke alongside the road. He discovered the car on fire and the driver trapped inside.Deputy Rose attempted to get into the locked vehicle as the fire spread from the engine compartment toward the back but was unable to do so before flames engulfed the vehicle. He did try to extinguish the fire without success. The BCSO says the doors were pinned shut from the impact."Upon Bronson Fire Department's arrival, the vehicle was fully involved in flames," a release from the BCSO says. "Bronson Fire used the Jaws of Life to open the door once the fire was extinguished."The driver appeared to be male but it will take medical and dental records to positively identify him once a tentative identification is made. An autopsy has been scheduled. Rose thought there was an Indiana tag on the car when he tried to get into the back hatch. The metal tag melted in the flames.Tire tracks showed the car was headed east when it went off the south side of the roadway and then lost control as it came back onto the asphalt before it slammed into a large tree on the north side of the road. The engine compartment was pushed back into the front seat. It is believed the driver died on impact.An investigation into the crash is underway. It occurred a quarter-mile west of Brooks Road.